#5

Voter Turnout

With Tuesday's preliminary election following a holiday weekend, voting totals may take a hit with people getting back into the swing of their daily lives after the three-day break.

In 2013, only 14% of the city's registered voters cast a ballot in the municipal election. The top vote-getters that year were Mayor Joe Petty, Kate Toomey and Morris Bergman.

#4

The District 2 Race Could Be Decided on Tuesday

The only other race on the ballot other than the At-Large race is the preliminary election for the District 2 City Council seat.

In 2013, Jennithan Cortes lost to 14-year incumbent Phil Palmieri by less than 250 votes. 

Palmieri is now eyeing an At-Large bid and Cortes is running for the District 2 seat again. However, he is facing a tough challenger in Candy Mero-Carlson who was recently endorsed by Shrewsbury Street Neighborhood Association president Gary Vecchio.

Ana Sequera and Larry Shetler round out the four candidates on the ballot.

#3

If Mayor Petty Isn't the Top Vote-Getter on Tuesday, Could Another Candidate Join the Mayoral Race?

In 2013, Mayor Joe Petty was the top vote-getter in the Municipal election - finishing ahead of Kate Toomey, Morris Bergman and former Mayor Konnie Lukes. 

With City Councilor Michael Gaffney gaining in popularity throughout the city, he would have to be considered as one of the top vote-getters.

If Gaffney takes the most votes in Tuesday's preliminary, and someone like Toomey and Bergman grabs the second-most votes, could someone else throw their name into the Mayor's race if they think they have a better shot than Petty?

Earlier this year, GoLocal asked Councilor Bergman if he would consider running for Mayor.

"If the Mayor's seat was open, it would be something I would consider. However, Mayor Petty is running for re-election and I will focus on running for, and hopefully winning, a council seat. With only one and a half years on the council, I think more experience doesn’t hurt. If that changes in 2017, and the mayor’s seat becomes open, it would be something I would have to consider," Bergman said.

#2

Will the City Council Become More Diverse?

Two of the six At-Large members of the current City Council are women. There isn't a single man of color on the council. 

Will the 2015 preliminary help change that? 

In 2013, William Coleman III had the eighth most votes, receiving 4,000 - 1,640 behind Gaffney who secured the sixth and final spot, and 1,200 more than Carmen Carmona who received the tenth most votes.

On Tuesday, Carmona and Coleman join minority candidates Khrystian King, former City Councilor Juan Gomez, and Linda Parham.

King (pictured) told GoLocal, "It doesn’t matter what your background is or your skin color is or how rich you are, etc. We all want safe neighborhoods, quality schools, programs to support our Seniors and Veterans, and good decent jobs. Now, we don’t always agree on how to go about accomplishing those things but far too often in politics, we focus on what divides us instead of what unites us."

#1

The Pulse of the City

If you're looking for a clear indication of how voters are feeling about the city's current state, look no further than the results of Tuesday's election.

The preliminary could begin to determine a number of things, including whether or not Worcester's residents are happy with their current elected officials or if they're looking for major changes in the city's government.